First hour: Reimagining the Erie Canal
Second hour: Former Senator Tom Harkin and the ROC EmployABILITY Conference
We talk with the winners of the Reimagine the Canals Competition, a $2.5 million contest aimed at transforming the Erie Canal into a hub for economic activity, recreation, and tourism. We’ll discuss the winning projects and what the developers hope for the future of the Erie Canal. In studio:
- Gil Quiniones, president and CEO of the New York Power Authority
- Jamie Kowalczyk, assistant planning director for Madison County, and member of the Canalside Pocket Neighborhoods team
- James Meerdink, project manager for Parks & Trails NY, and member of the Erie Armada team
- Rory McEvoy, co-founder of Area4 (an event design firm), and member of the Erie Armada team
Then in our second hour, we're joined by former Senator Tom Harkin of Iowa, who authored the Americans with Disabilities Act. Research shows that among similarly sized cities, Rochester is the single worst in the country when it comes to employment and poverty for people with disabilities. Harkin is the keynote speaker for the upcoming ROC EmployABILITY conference, which is focused on increasing employment opportunities and reducing poverty among people with disabilities. We’ll preview that conference. In studio:
- Senator Tom Harkin (D-Iowa, retired)
- Jeiri “J.D.” Flores, member of the planning committee for the ROC EmployABILITY Conference
- Stephanie Woodward, director of advocacy for the Center for Disability Rights
- Susan Hetherington, director of the University of Rochester’s Strong Center for Developmental Disabilities
